RECORD numbers of Eastern European criminals are clogging up the country’s already overcrowded jails leaving hard-pressed taxpayers to foot an annual bill of £110million.

Oskar Pawlowichz was jailed for violent aggravated burglary last week after assaulting a lecturer

The eye-watering cost comes amid fury and frustration that nine out of 28 of our EU counterparts have failed to sign deals to take their criminals back.

New figures show the number of EU inmates and suspects on remand from former Soviet bloc states has surged 61 per cent in the last four years to nearly 3,000. With an average prison place costing more than £36,000 a year, the bill comes in at just under £110million.

In response, Ukip home affairs spokeswoman Diane James said: “This is precisely the detail that the Conservatives and Labour want to keep hidden.

“It exposes how the lack of control of whom enters the UK impacts not only on the threat to UK citizens on their daily lives, but also the subsequent cost to the taxpayer of their imprisonment.”

Ministry of Justice figures seen by the Daily Express revealed that in September last year there were 2,963 prisoners from 16 Eastern European countries which are either in the EU or preparing to join in the near future.

More than two out of every three are from just four countries – Poland, Lithuania, Romania and Albania.

This is precisely the detail that the Conservatives and Labour want to keep hidden

Diane James, Ukip home affairs spokeswoman

The 901 Poles in prison here had their numbers swollen by four over the weekend when Dawid Tychon, Mariusz Tomaszewski, Pawel Honc and Oskar Pawlowicz were jailed for a total of 64 years after battering a lecturer at his home in south-west London.

They will be deported after serving half their sentences.

Last night a Ministry of Justice spokesman said:

“We believe foreign national offenders who have no right to remain in the UK should be removed at the earliest opportunity. That is why this Government has toughened the system.

“We have cut the grounds on which criminals can appeal deportation, and have removed 22,000 foreign offenders since 2010.”